Doe not cleaning fawns

JEJ7 · May 24, 2011

I have a doe that doesnt lick to stimulate her fawns. Last year was her first fawn and she didnt care for it, so for about the first week i would just keep it clean and occasionally spray with iodine and it turned out fine, actually my best looking yearling so far. She had twin buck fawns this year and again isnt cleanig them. they are now 6 days old and havn't see her clean them either. She feeds and mothers them fine. i again have tried to keep them cleaned. I just wanted others opinions on this, should i worry about these little guys, or do you think they are gonna be fine. Dont want them to not urinate or deficate and end up dead. Thinking they will turn out fine like last year, but still worries me. maybe she does it when im not around? They seem to act fine, as a matter of fact don't think i'll be catching them much more as they are getting mobile!

ddwhitetails · May 24, 2011

Jens how can you be certain she is not cleaning them when your not around?

JEJ7 · May 24, 2011

I can't be for sure of that! But I have manually cleaned off practically whole bowel movements stuck to their butts/tails. I did take a pair of scissors and trimmed all the hair of the bottom side of their tails to minimize that

Josh · May 25, 2011

Jens,

This is always a tough call. We tend to take most of the guess work out of what these deer have to do. We give them great feed, fresh water and green pastures to roam. We can't however give them the instinct to do what mother nature has given them, ie, Mothering (licking fawns). Any doe that does not take care of there fawns either needs to have there fawns pulled and bottle feed. Or ideally removed from the breeding population. It's a tough call but if it is something that could be passed down to offspring that is not something you want.

Do she have daughters that do this?

Do you know if her mother did this?

JEJ7 · May 25, 2011

I'm thinking she caring well enough for them as they're a week old now and doing fine. Don't know about her mother for sure, but she raised this girl as she is not a bottle fed, and no she hasn't had any doe fawns yet. Single buck last year and twin buck fawns this year. If/when she has a doe fawn I'm pulling it for sure to bottle feed. She is probably one of my best doe genetically, and these buck fawns are out of Texas tea. That's probably why I'm anxious about them. As stated she did similar with her buck fawn last year and he's turned out pretty good so far. Sometimes we do just have to trust they are doing some things when we r not looking!

ddwhitetails · May 25, 2011

Sounds like she throws good fawns....you say she has a good yearling on the ground now....imam going to have to make a visit and check him out.....Jens how far are you from lake Latonka?

Doe not cleaning fawns

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